Like this:

… in the shape of a lovely city named Luxor.

Yes, last week, we spent 4 days in Luxor. The most densely archaeological place in Egypt, probably, if not the world. It was spectacular. There is so much I could say about the experience, but I’ll limit myself. Somehow, I doubt that those not as enthusiastic about old things as I am would be as interested to hear about them.

As I mentioned in my last post, Luxor is hot. Seriously hot. We had to wake up at 4:30 every morning to go and visit monuments before spending the afternoon out of the sun, and then venturing out once again for the evening. Fortunately, we were staying in a beautiful hotel, built in the early 1900′s, which had a lovely pool. 115 degrees feels a little nicer when you’re in the water and not sweating and sweltering under the outrageously intense sun in Luxor (apparently there’s a UV index from 1-10, and Luxor in the summer is rated 10+ extreme). I will say, the upside of being in Luxor during the off-season is that we were largely alone when we were visiting sites. The experience of being in a massive temple with no one but those in your group is indescribable.

Everything we saw in Luxor was spectacular- the Luxor Temple, the Karnak Temple, the museum (much more informative and more manageable than the Cairo museum), Deir el-Bahri (Hatshepsut’s temple), the Temple of the Kings, the Ramesseum, the Collossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu, and Dendara- but I have to say that my favorite site was Dendara. It’s a temple, mostly Roman, built to the goddess Hathor, goddess of love and what not. The complex itself is comprised of a large temple, a “birthing room”, a sacred lake (now filled with palm trees), and some other buildings, one of which was converted into one of the earliest churches!

The temple at Dendara is one of the most complete temples that remains, and also preserves an incredible amount of color from the original building. It is currently being cleaned by a restoration team, and the difference between those parts that have been cleaned and those that  haven’t is striking. I’m searching for a good parallel, and all I can think of is Grand Central Station when they were cleaning the ceiling in the main hall. For anyone who happened to be in New York when they were in the process of cleaning the ceiling, try to imagine that same effect, but with thousands of years of dirt instead of a hundred. Got it?

The carvings and paintings themselves are really stunning. The level of detail is fantastic, and the colors are incredibly vivid despite their age. In one of the smaller, less aerated rooms, there was even a lingering smell of incense. Or maybe I was imagining it? But I wasn’t the only one to notice. Anyway, if you ever make it to Luxor, take the extra trip to Dendara. It’s one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever visited.

Back in Cairo, school is continuing, as are our “Tuesday advanced projects”, which take us all over the city every Tuesday. This week and last, I went to the Blue Mosque here in Cairo, a 14th century mosque where restoration work is underway. I got to actually participate in the work, which at this point is primarily cleaning the Muezzin, or tower. The people I met there are so kind! They love teaching me new Arabic and then quizzing me on it, asking about America, and telling me about their lives. This Tuesday, they even invited me to the wedding of a man who used to work with them!

The wedding happened to be a Protestant wedding, which took place in a church downtown. It was largely like a Protestant wedding in the US, but a lot louder and more colorful. Of course, it was all in Arabic, but I was able to follow much of it and fill in the rest with what little church experience I have. It is a testament to the generosity of the people here that I was not only invited to the wedding of a man I had never met, but welcomed by both him and his bride with a smile. Very fun.
We’re entering into our last week here in Cairo (at least with the program) and I’m starting to get a little sad- its been fantastic, but I wish I had been more aggressive about getting out and exploring the city. I am definitely looking forward to my mom and Jessie’s visit, though, and showing them around a city that I’ve grown very fond of.

restoration work at the Blue Mosque

Mosque of Sultan Hassan

Luxor Temple

Sunrise on the Nile

Not bad for 6 AM

Hatshepsut’s Temple

Hatshepsut’s Temple

Hatshepsut’s Temple

Karnak Temple

Dendara

Yet another fellucca ride

Yet another fellucca ride

Valley of the Kings

Medinet Habu

Medinet Habu

Medinet Habu

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